Celebrating Women's History Month & International Women’s Day
Check out CultureAlly’s International Women’s Day Training for your workplace!
In this article, we discuss:
What is Women’s History Month?
In 1982, Congress declared the first week in March to be “Women’s History Week”.
By March of 1987, the entire month was dedicated to the celebration of women’s history and subsequently named “Women’s History Month”.
The purpose of Women’s History Month is to acknowledge the achievements and contributions to American culture and society women have made throughout the centuries.
This month serves as an incredible inspiration for young girls and women who dream big and don’t take no for an answer. It is a reminder that your gender does not define your ability.
What is International Women’s Day?
💡DID YOU KNOW: International Women’s Day predates Women’s History Month by several decades, first occurring on March 8, 1911.
International Women’s Day (IWD) focuses on the accomplishments of women from all corners of the earth and celebrates political, economic and social accomplishments. Similarly, this day inspires young girls and women from all walks of life to be their best selves and change the world.
Incredible Women and Their Accomplishments
Politics
Ruth Bader Ginsburg – The second woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, Ginsburg was a fierce advocate for gender equality until the day she passed. Prior to becoming a justice, Ginsburg taught at Rutgers and Columbia where she became the first tenured female professor. And she argued a multitude of landmark cases before the U.S. Supreme Court regarding gender equality.
Kamala Harris – The child of two immigrants, Harris is the first woman of color to hold the office of Vice President of the United States of America.
Madeleine Albright – In addition to being the first woman to serve as United States Secretary of State, Albright was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1998.
Activism
Malala Yousafzai – A force to be reckoned with, Malala is a staunch advocate for girls and their education. She created the Malala Fund to “ensure that all girls receive 12 years of free, safe, quality education.” She is the youngest Nobel laureate, having received the Nobel Peace Prize in December of 2014.
Gloria Steinem – A pioneer of feminism and a leader of the women’s liberation movement, Steinem received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013 for her commitment to the advancement of civil rights.
Angela Davis – Prolific author, educator and activist, Davis is a woman of the people. She’s involved herself in numerous causes including the prison abolition movement, the second-wave feminist movement, the campaign against the Vietnam War and the Women’s March on Washington.
Entertainment
Jane Fonda – Her history of fighting for justice is almost as long as her acting career! Fonda was affiliated with the Black Panthers, spoke out against the Vietnam War (and was arrested for it), protested with Indigenous peoples repeatedly and now holds climate protests on Capitol Hill. As long as there is injustice, Jane Fonda will be fighting.
Ava DuVernay – As an award-winning filmmaker, DuVernay has shed light on the struggles of POC with pieces like Selma, 13th and When They See Us. She is the first woman of color to direct a big budget film (A Wrinkle in Time).
Mindy Kaling – Inspired by her daughter, Kaling became involved in the global water crisis. She advocates for the Pour it Forward campaign which has provided millions of people with clean water since 2017. Kaling is particularly passionate about this cause because it disproportionately affects women and children.
Academia
Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan & Mary Jackson – These brilliant women worked for NASA at a time when women were deemed incompetent and segregation was the norm. Johnson put astronaut John Glenn in space, Vaughan was NASA’s first black female engineer and Jackson was NACA’s first black manager having led the West Area Computing Unit for nearly a decade. Their accomplishments were the inspiration behind the film Hidden Figures.
Radia Perlman – As a computer programmer and network engineer, Perlman has contributed greatly to the field of computer science. She invented the Spanning Tree Protocol and holds over 100 issued patents. When she attended MIT in the late 60s, she was one of 50 women in a class of 1,000 people.
Roberta Bondar – The world’s first astronaut-neurologist, Bondar has been bestowed dozens of honors including the Order of Ontario, the NASA Space Medal and induction into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame.
Why Celebrate Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day?
Women and their ideas, contributions and achievements have long been discarded, stolen and overlooked. Their existence in society has been oppressed and they have been disempowered for centuries.
Here are several statistics and facts that reflect the current position of women worldwide:
More than two-thirds of the world’s illiterate population are women (UN Women)
Over 200 million women and girls alive today have experienced female genital mutilation (World Health Organization)
Less than 15% of landholders are women (Womankind Worldwide)
Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day remind society that women have a place, they are valuable, and our world would cease to progress without their existence.
How to Celebrate IWD in the Workplace
Unfortunately, the oppression of women also exists in the workplace. Women frequently experience sexism in the form of microaggressions, sexual harassment, and unfair wages.
Celebrating Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day in the workplace brings awareness to the experiences of professional women and promotes a safe and welcoming office culture. Below are several ways to celebrate as a company.
Present an Iconic Woman
Create a list of accomplished women throughout history and have each employee choose one woman to present. Presentations can include background information, lifetime achievements and national or global impact. Have fun with it and dress up as the woman you are presenting! All employees should be encouraged to participate in this activity.
Attend a Virtual Event
There are hundreds of virtual events scheduled for International Women’s Day this year. Enter your location to discover events suitable for your office. After attending the event, take some time to reflect on what was learned and why the event was significant.
Fundraise for Women’s Organizations
Host a virtual gala, implement an office swear jar or partner with a local restaurant to raise funds for organizations that support women.
Movie Monday
Every Monday in March, use lunchtime as an opportunity to watch a hilarious, heartfelt, educational film about women. Hidden Figures, The Iron Lady, Captain Marvel and A League of Their Own are all excellent choices if you’re looking for ideas.
Start a Book Club
Read and discuss inspiring books written by women. The Handmaid’s Tale, Little Women, Bad Feminist and Becoming are powerful books written by diverse women perfect for those looking to understand the female experience.
How to be a Male Ally at Work
Listen
Women are frequently interrupted and talked over, particularly in the workplace. This is marginalizing and unprofessional behavior. Take the time to listen to what the women have to say and respectfully engage in dialogue.
Challenge Other Men
If your male colleagues are participating in speech or behavior that is inappropriate, call them out. Whether or not a woman is present it is important to address inappropriate speech and behavior immediately. Let them know that what they are saying and doing is offensive and will not be tolerated.
Respect Their Physical Space
Do not make physical contact with a woman if she has not given you permission to do so. This includes a hug, handshake, pat on the back and so on. This behavior is inappropriate and can be triggering for survivors of sexual or domestic violence. Additionally, do not use pet names such as “love”, “dear” or “honey” unless a woman has stated otherwise. Such names can be demeaning and are generally not work appropriate.
Give Credit When Credit is Due
In addition to being frequently interrupted, the thoughts and ideas of women are often overlooked or stolen and passed off as someone else’s. If you are in a meeting and a female colleague shares a great idea, acknowledge it and attribute it to her. Or, if you notice that a male colleague has stolen an idea and is trying to pass it off as his own, call him out and acknowledge the woman behind the idea.
Further Resources for IWD
If you’re looking to further your knowledge on Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, check out these resources.
International Women’s Day 2021: History, Marches and Celebrations
Before Celebrating International Women’s Day, Ask Yourself: How You Are Supporting Working Mothers?
The Power of Women
Let’s keep giving women to receive the recognition that they deserve! For centuries the contributions, achievements, ideas and efforts of women have been overlooked.
This has set a dangerous precedent for women across the world who are treated as though they are insignificant, disposable and unwelcome in many spaces. Despite their oppression, women have overcome and managed to shatter the glass ceiling time and time again.
Let’s celebrate the power of women.